JETS JOURNAL - #086
June 17, 2025
Hi All!
Here is your weekly round up of what I’m pondering and exploring. Feel free to forward along to a friend if you think they might enjoy.
Feedback on my novel
Last week I sent out some more copies of my novel to both publishers and a new group of beta readers. Check out some of the new feedback below:
I think the latest edit of the book really helped the story flow much smoother, leading to multiple people finishing the book in one day, which even suprised me!
It’s still a waiting game now hearing from publishers. However, I used the rejection I shared with you the other week as a component of my new pitch as a way of daring them to see if they had the balls to tell a so-called risky story, and if not telling them from the beginning I’m not the right fit for you.
This way, I’m not the one begging for them. I’m actively choosing, and eliminating the partners who don’t even align with what I’m trying to do in the first place.
Russ on the rise of AI artists
Here’s a quote from the rapper, Russ on the rise of record labels signing AI artists:
“It’s coming off like the motivation behind signing AI artist and doing all this, is control. You’re not looking for artists, you’re looking for machines that follow orders. You’re trying to eliminate the messiness aka the beauty of humanity and looking at artists like these inconveinent employees. You’re not building art, your building a product. It’s very weirdly dystopian to go from protecting the voice of an artist to programming what they say. You’re also telling the world that the ideal artist is the one who shuts up and obeys.” -Russ, Rap Life Review
Melbourne
I’ve been in Melbourne for the past four days enjoying myself, and taking a moment to creatively recharge. My inital impression of the city after being there for longer than a day is that the culture is sick. It feels like a hybrid of both Los Angeles and New York. Especially with all the graffiti, cool stores, and bubbling creative scene. I love the style down here, and find walking the streets inspiring in and of itself.
Some of my favourite places I visited include:
ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) - A muesuem dedicated to movies.
Brunswick Used Books - Easily the best vintage book store I found while I was down there. They had great titles, fair prices, and a cozy vibe.
That Paper Joint - Cool studio, and design store speciliasing in collage supplies and stationary.
- Kines Cafe, Brunswick - Ate breakfast from here every morning. Crazy good sourkrout toastie.
Bags made from trucks
I recently discovered a Swiss bag and accessories maker called FREITAG.
What they do is upcycle used tarps and seatbelts from trucks and transform them into a range of different products including: tote bags, wallets, backpacks, messanger bags, and more.
One of the things I like most about the process of upcycling is that each bag is unqiue. When I bought mine the other day I got to look through hundreds of different options, all special in their own way, until I finally settled on the one I liked the most.
Keep in mind their bags are relatively expensive since they are made in Zurich, Switzerland. However, the quality and attention to detail is well worth it, in my opinion. If your interested, I’d recomened going into one of their worldwide stores and browsing through their products in person. Their branding, aesthetic, and general cohesiveness of the instore experiance is great.
Disclaimer: THIS IS NOT AN AD. I have zero affiliation with FREITAG. I just genuinely thought what they are doing is interesting and worth sharing with you.
Hope everyone enjoys their week.
Love,
Jet Williams